Penlink is an integrated transport project involving a number of elements, including a toll road. When constructed, it will link the Whangaparaoa Peninsula to State Highway 1 at Redvale, reducing trip time by up to 15 minutes, and provide necessary capacity to provide for planned growth. Although current levels of service on Whangaparaoa Road and Hibiscus Coast Highway are acceptable, development on the Peninsula and in the Silverdale area with its accompanying traffic growth will soon cause increasing congestion on those routes. Unless new capacity is provided, forecast congestion on those routes will not meet Council’s commitment to residents to maintain existing levels of service on the roading network, nor will it meet the requirements of the New Zealand Transport Agency to avoid congestion on Hibiscus Coast Highway and State Highway 1. Penlink provides that necessary capacity, and also promotes economic development on the Peninsula and in the Silverdale area.
Conceptual image of the Weiti Crossing Bridge
The integrated package consists of the following works:
A toll road
• a 7.4 kilometre long two-lane road between the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and State Highway 1 at Redvale, including a 540m bridge across the Weiti River – the Weiti Toll Road.
Local road works
• widening of Whangaparaoa Road between Brightside Road and Arklow Lane, and a new intersection with the new road
• realignment and widening of East Coast Road at the intersection with the new road
• a new motorway interchange at Redvale connecting to State Highway 1
Walking and cycling facilities
• a walkway and cycleway from Whangaparaoa Road to the Duck Creek Road junction at Stillwater.
Due to previous delays in the funding of Penlink, traffic growth has continued, and it has now been decided to accelerate the delivery of a further set of local works around the Whangaparaoa Town Centre and to include the works in the Penlink project. This additional set of works has been added in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 financial years to coincide with the construction of Penlink and avoid having a second round of service disruptions on Whangaparaoa Road immediately following those caused by the above local road works between Brightside Road and Arklow Lane. These works are:
Additional local road works
• selected intersection improvements around the Whangaparaoa Town Centre and widening from Arklow towards Ladies Mile, as far as budgeting permits.
In 2008, the previous Government announced that Penlink would be built as a state highway, with 80% funded by the proceeds of a new Regional Fuel Tax. Council was still in discussion with Government agencies regarding final funding and delivery of the project when the Regional Fuel Tax program was rescinded by the new Government. The current Government has encouraged Council to apply for funding through the new National Land Transport Fund for 58% subsidy of total project cost, and Council has done so. Allocations under that program are expected in the third quarter of 2009, which would allow construction to get underway in the 2010 construction season. When Government funding is secured, Council intends to raise the balance of funding through a tolling scheme on the Weiti Toll Road tendered through a public-private partnership, and through developer contributions (DC’s).
Council has adopted a development contributions policy as provided for under the Local Government Act 2002 as part of this LTCCP. That policy will ensure funding of local share for the Penlink project in conjunction with the public-private partnership. Such policies require that Council consider both the causes and benefits arising from new capital projects such as Penlink in the allocation of costs. Construction of Penlink will provide improvements in levels of service along Whangaparaoa Road that will be available to existing residents. That benefit has been calculated at approximately $6.2 million dollars, and is charged to existing ratepayers.
Funding of the Penlink Project 
Past consultation has consistently shown overwhelming community support for the project. As a result the Council believes the project to be worthwhile and remains committed to its implementation. There has already been thorough consultation and community debate on this issue and Council is not reopening the issue of whether the project should proceed. Rather, as part of the LTCCP process, the Council is signaling to the community its intention to progress the project.